


Catfish

by LeesaCrakon



Category: The Hustle (2019)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Drinking, Established Relationship, F/M, Fat Shaming, Overprotective, Protective Thomas Westerburg, Protectiveness, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Sexism, fatphobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-18 02:35:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20631668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeesaCrakon/pseuds/LeesaCrakon
Summary: Penny decides to catfish a few guys just for old times sake, and Thomas tags along in case things go wrong. They do, but not in the way Thomas thinks.





	Catfish

“Are you sure you want to do this, Penny?” Thomas asked, shooting his girlfriend a concerned look as he finished tying his bow tie. His eyes lingered as he watched her slip on her dress. It was purple, his favorite color on her, and hugged her form in all the right places. She was gorgeous and funny, and everything Thomas had ever wanted. He didn’t want to see her get hurt. 

“Yeah yeah, it’s fine!” Penny insisted, shoving a bit of padding into her bra. “I used to do this all the time! It’s hilarious!” Penny let out a small giggle and looked at herself in the mirror, twirling the dress. Thomas relaxed and smiled, coming up behind her and wrapping her arms around her waist. 

“Promise me, if anything goes wrong you won’t yet angry if I interfere?” Thomas said, kissing her cheek and resting his head on her shoulder. Penny's face flushed and the affection and she tried to stammer out a response, to no avail. Thomas smirked into her shoulder. "I'll take that as a yes," Thomas said, amused, before turning her and kissing her deeply, his arms staying around her waist. Penny hummed happily and returned Thomas' eager kiss, only breaking away when Thomas started to reach for her zipper. She laughed and playfully smacked his chest, but he was still slightly winded. 

"Later, Thomas! I'm supposed to meet the first target in five minutes. Now, how do I look?" Penny said, checking herself out in the mirror one more time. Thomas' eyes softened with affection. 

"You look beautiful, Penny." She huffed. 

"You say that every time."

"And I mean it every time," Thomas insisted. They had this conversation way too often. He wondered, sometimes, if Penny even believed him when he complimented her. Penny looked at him for a moment before sighing, taking his hand and tugging him out the door and to their car. They got in and drove to the bar, where Penny would con a man or two that she had been catfishing. The plan was for Thomas to drop Penny off, where she would go inside and find the target that she'd been catfishing for the past few months. Thomas would park the car, then go in and sit somewhere off to the side and watch the exchange. He'd pull her out if the situation became too much, or if the police showed up, or if another situation arose where they needed to leave. Everything was in place. Thomas parked the car and headed into the bar. Penny was moving in, her gaze locked on a rather greasy looking man with too much hair who already had several bottles of alcohol around him. Thomas sat at the other end of the bar, close enough so he could hear and see what was going on. 

"Archie?" Penny asked, standing in front of the obviously intoxicated man. He squinted, staring at Penny for a moment before taking his glasses off and cleaning them on his shirt. Thomas could see the smile waver on his lover's face, and the grip on his beer he'd purchased tightened. "It's me! Becky?"

"Can't be. This ain't you in the picture," Archie said in a gruff Brooklyn accent, downing the last of his drink and standing up to leave. Penny quickly got in front of him, putting her hands. 

"You're right, you're right! I'm just messing with you. Becky's my sister, she sent me here," Penny said, recovering quickly. Archie snorted and sat back down, looking Penny up and down with a smirk on his face. Thomas did not like that look. He could see Penny grow uneasy as Archie eyed her body. It made his stomach churn. 

"Thank the Lord. You're ugly as fuck," Archie chortled. He said it so loudly that other patrons of the bar heard him. A chorus of laughter erupted and Penny's eyes darted as both the men and women in the bar sniggered and began to whisper. Thomas recoiled, nearly knocking the man in the barstool next to him to the floor. Penny's smile was fading, and it was getting hard for Thomas not to do something. "Like no offense, but you're a fatass. At least you got nice tits. You and your sister have that in common. Now, why'd she send you and not come herself?" Arche asked. More laughter. Penny recovered again, and Thomas felt a swell of pride as she spun a fabricated tale of a smashed-in nose and a dire need for plastic surgery so she wouldn't be stuck with a crooked, bent nose forever, and Archie was digging into his pockets for all the cash he had. 

"Thank you so much sir, this will help immensely!" Penny gushed as she shoved the bills and check for $100,000 into her purse. Archie nodded and finished his drink.

"Can't have both sisters be ugly, now can we? It would be such a shame, really," he said calmly. Penny set her jaw, and Thomas recognized the look in her eyes. She was going to cry. His blood boiled and he couldn't take it anymore, slamming his bottle onto the counter and storming over to the man who dared to insult the love of his life. 

"Get the hell away from her," Thomas hissed through his teeth, standing between the bum and Penny. Archie raised an eyebrow and scoffed. 

"What're you gonna do about it, toothpick?" he sneered, leaving a tip on the counter and shoving his hands in his pockets. "Maybe she can use some of that money to get surgery herself. She's ugly, there's no way you think she's-" Thomas cut the man off by punching him square in the jaw, sending him reeling to the floor. As Archie cried out in anger, Thomas grabbed Penny by the arm and the two of them ran out of the bar. It wouldn't be long before Archie or another bar patron called the cops and they were pursued. Thomas could tell Penny was saying something to him, but he kept going until they got to the car. He opened her door for her and got in on his side, speeding off.

"What the hell was that for?!" Penny shouted, her words finally registering in Thomas' mind. Thomas blinked and glanced at her, but kept his eyes on the road. He didn't know what to say, if he was being honest. "Everything was going fine and you just barged in like that! What were you thinking? i could've gotten so much more money off that guy!" Penny was pissed. Really pissed. Thomas could tell without even looking at her. His grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles were white. Penny continued ranting on about how Thomas had ruined the plan, and now there were three other cons she wasn't going to be able to finish. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Penny finally said, stopping her ranting to glare angrily at Thomas. He bit his lip. 

"I didn't like the way he was talking to you. It was horrible, Penny! I couldn't just stand by and watch him humiliate you in front of everyone!" Thomas retorted. Penny deflated and slumped in her seat, her gaze dropping to the floor. All of her anger evaporated in an instant. 

"You didn't need to get mad. I'm used to it," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant, but Thomas' heart shattered at the ill-concealed dejection in her tone. He took one of her hands in his, squeezing it tightly.

"But you shouldn't be used to it, and that's what pisses me off. You're so beautiful...I don't understand how anyone can look at you and not see something beautiful," Thomas murmured, moving his thumb across her knuckles. Penny smiled weakly and a tear slipped down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away. Thomas' heart ached. They'd been together for almost a year, and it was still hard for Penny to show herself being vulnerable to him. The rest of the car ride was spent in silence, but Thomas and Penny never stopped holding hands. When they got inside, Thomas turned to her, a determined look on his face. 

"What are you doing?" Penny asked softly as Thomas caressed her cheek, his eyes locked on hers. He stared at her for a moment before leaning forward and capturing her lips in a kiss. It wasn't heated or sexual. It was soft and sweet and Thomas poured every ounce of love that he felt for Penny into the kiss. Penny whimpered softly and threw her arms around Thomas' neck, leaning into him. Thomas pulled her close to him, holding her in his eyes and keeping the kiss sweet. When they pulled away Penny was crying, tears rolling down her face. Her mascara was comically smudged, but Thomas didn't notice. He gently wiped her tears with his sleeve and kissed her again, softly. 

"I don't just like your body, Penny, although it is smokin'." That made Penny smile weakly up at him. "I love you, as a person. You're beautiful inside and out. Those bastards don't know what they're talking about," Thomas said firmly. He pressed, small, gentle kisses all over Penny's face and she giggled. 

"T-Thomas, that tickles!" Penny said with a laugh. Thomas grinned and kissed her nose before stopping. He rested his forehead on hers, looking into her eyes and smiling. "I love you," Penny said quietly, biting her lip and looking up at Thomas shyly as if she expected a different answer than the one he gave her each and every single time. 

"I love you too, Penny," Thomas whispered, and he kissed her again. 


End file.
